Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers
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These chicken skewers marinated in honey, lime juice and Sriracha taste every bit as good as they look.
These chicken skewers marinated in honey, lime juice, and Sriracha are every bit as good as they look — and if you haven’t tried Sriracha, the Asian hot sauce named after the coastal city of Si Racha in Thailand, this is the perfect recipe to taste just how delicious it is. Made from sun-ripened chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt, Sriracha is used in soups, sauces, noodle dishes, omelets, burgers or anything else to add a delicious spicy taste. It has become so popular in the States that you can find it in the international section of most supermarkets.
What You’ll Need To Make Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by making the marinade. In a blender, combine the zest of a lime, fresh lime juice, honey, soy sauce, vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, and Sriracha. (Even though you’re puréeing the marinade, it’s a good idea to roughly chop the garlic and ginger so they get incorporated — some blenders can’t handle large chunks.)
Purée until completely smooth, then set aside 1/2 cup of the marinade to use as a drizzling sauce.
Next, prepare the chicken. I’ve specified boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because they’re more flavorful than chicken breasts and easier to cook without drying out. I know many people prefer white meat but I’ve tried both in this recipe and, trust me, it’s much better made with dark meat.
The only drawback to using chicken thighs is that they need to be trimmed before you cook them. I think it’s easiest to use kitchen shears as opposed to a knife. So, using scissors, simply cut off any gristle and large chunks of fat (don’t fret over every little bit as it mostly melts away on the grill) and then cut the meat into 2-inch pieces.
Place the chicken in a Ziplock bag with the remaining marinade and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
After the chicken has marinated, thread the pieces onto skewers.
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Scrape the grates clean to prevent the chicken from sticking, then dip a wad of paper towels in oil and rub the grates until smooth and shiny.
Grill the chicken, turning occasionally to promote even browning, for 10-15 minutes.
Keep an eye on it — the honey in the marinade causes the chicken to caramelize on the grill and turn a beautiful, rich brown color; however, the chicken can burn if the grill is too hot. Lower the heat if the chicken is browning too fast.
Transfer the skewers to a platter and drizzle with the reserved marinade. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over top and serve. Enjoy!
It was a mouth-watering photo from a blog called Kitchen Meets Girl that caught my eye on Pinterest and inspired this recipe.
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Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers
These chicken skewers marinated in honey, lime juice and Sriracha taste every bit as good as they look.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon lime zest, from one lime
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 2 limes
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1½ square inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (see note)
- 1½ tablespoons Sriracha sauce
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- 2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (between 8-10), trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus a few whole sprigs for garnish
- Limes, sliced into wedges, for garnishing platter (optional)
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the soy sauce, honey, oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, ginger, Sriracha and salt. Blend until completely smooth. Pour ½ cup of the marinade into a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (this will be your drizzling sauce).
- Combine the chicken and remaining marinade in a large Ziplock bag and seal tightly. Place in a bowl (in case of leakage) and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto skewers, folding the pieces in half if they are long and thin.
- Be sure the grill is clean, then preheat to medium-high heat. To grease the grill, lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over the grates several times until glossy and coated. Grill the chicken kebabs, covered, until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it -- if they are browning too quickly, turn the heat down.) Transfer the skewers to a platter. Warm up the reserved marinade in the microwave and either drizzle it over top or pass it alongside. Scatter the chopped cilantro over top and garnish the platter with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, if desired.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 321
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Sugar: 18g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 37g
- Sodium: 1147mg
- Cholesterol: 180mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I have made this recipe so many times— it’s an absolute go to favorite. When I don’t feel like skewering, I have pounded chicken breasts, marinated them as the recipe calls for and then grilled for a super easy dinner, These are also delicious served with a mango salsa. YUM!
Another huge hit! Your recipes never fail me, thank you. I made this recipe and paired it with the Thai Crunch Salad. What a fabulous meal. The weather was too cold to want to stand outside at the grill so I made the chicken in broiler. I had no leftovers to put away as the entire meal was so delicious.
This has become one of my “go to” chicken recipes. I’ve used it with boneless thighs and breasts (yes, thighs are better). Yes, they are best on the grill but I have also used the cast iron grill pans in the winter. Not as tasty but it works. Such a wonderful marinade. So flavorful. Awesome, as always Jen.
This was the first time I tried cooking with chicken thighs. I like the ease of chicken breasts, but these were delicious – and using the scissors to trim the meat was easy. I marinated overnight and the flavor came through beautifully. Everyone loved them!
These are delicious! Truly a great dinner. They can be done inside on a grill pan, as well.
This has become a regular in our house. My children ask for it on a weekly basis.
I dream about these chicken skewers! They are packed with flavor and grill up so nicely. I prepped a double batch before leaving for a camping trip. It was so simple to throw the bag in the cooler to marinade on the drive out and grill them up at the campsite. They were a huge hit!
I would like to make this recipe for 50 people and don’t want to be standing outside at the grill when they arrive. If I grill the skewers outside at a medium high temperature until browned, at what temperature and how long (or what internal temp.) would you recommend I finish them inside in the oven? I plan to place them in a chaffing dish and let the guests serve themselves throughout the evening. Any other tips to keeping them moist and delicious?
Hi, I think you could brown these on the grill and then finish them off in a 350-degree oven for about 10 – 15 minutes. I think a chafing dish will work nicely as they’ll be covered. (Plus, because these are made from chicken thighs, they should be nice and moist.)
I was searching for a chicken recipe that had the flavor punch of citrus & spice. I came across this recipe & after reading, decided to try it. I loved it! The marinade combined such bold flavors, was so bright to the taste before adding the chicken, that I hoped the chicken, when cooked, would taste as bright. Often lime juice & zest is over done & hides the other flavors. This was just right! I’ve made these in smaller sizes for appetizer servings (guests raved& had to have the recipe!) & have made full sized skewers. So good! I have since taken this marinade & used it to oven roast chicken (delish!) & tried it on pork tenderloins, proceeding with them placed in marinade in Ziploc bag & placed in fridge. Came out so wonderfully. Saw the comment about trying on shrimp. Definitely will try but will marinade only 20-30 minutes. It will definitely taste good because everything I’ve used this on has tasted great!
Hi Jenn,
I love this recipe and has become a favorite with the family. Has anyone tried this out with Shrimp yet? Do you think it would work?
Hi Julie, I think it would work but I’d only marinate for 20-30 minutes. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn,
The Shrimp was outstanding and a huge hit. I served it as a surf and turf dinner. I made a Ribeye Roast with shrimp skewers. Everyone loved the flavor of the marinade. I gave the recipe to three people and told them about your site. 🙂